Are you looking to upgrade your home lighting to smart bulbs? If so, you‘re making a bright choice!
Smart bulbs connect to your home‘s Wi-Fi to enable wireless control, automation, scheduling, voice command and more through phone apps. This guide will cover top models available and key factors to consider when choosing the best smart bulbs for your needs.
What Are Smart Light Bulbs?
Smart bulbs pack LED lighting technology into bulbs that can connect to your home Wi-Fi network. This allows you to control them from your smartphone, set automations like schedules, and integrate voice commands using a smart speaker.
Benefits of smart bulbs:
- Remote on/off/dim control when away from home
- Automate schedules for lighting control
- Fun lighting themes, colors and effects
- Voice control through Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant
*save energy and last longer than older bulb types
Many options don‘t even need a hub or bridge to set up. Features vary among models – from basic white dimming to full color effects and expansive smart device integration.
Now let‘s dive into the top 10 smart bulbs I recommend…
1. Philips Hue White and Color Ambience – Best Overall
The Philips Hue starter kit provides the best overall smart lighting solution, balancing smart features with excellent lighting quality.
Key specs:
| Wattage | 10W |
| Lumens | 800 |
| Lifetime | 25,000 hrs|
Pros
- Smooth dimming
- 16 million colors
- Entertaining effects
- Automations, schedules
- Alexa, Google, Siri voice compatible
- Sync with TV, games and music
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires Hue hub
Philips Hue is the most full-featured smart lighting platform on the market. The intuitive Hue app lets you paint your home with colorful lighting scenes and effects. Automate schedules, routines, motion triggers and more.
Extensive integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit allows impressive voice control and automation capabilities leveraging those smart home ecosystems.
While the starter kit and add-on bulbs don‘t come cheap, no other smart lighting brand offers the same level of polish, quality and capabilities as Philips Hue. This is the premium smart lighting experience.
Philips Hue White and Color Ambience Starter Kit
Price: $161.79 for 4 bulbs, hub and 5 piece set
Amazon Rating: 4/5 (91,000+ ratings)Best uses: Full-featured lighting control and automation for entire homes. Syncing impressive lighting effects with movies, games and music.
2. Wyze Bulb Color – Best Budget
Wyze Bulb Color packs great performance into an affordable WiFi-enabled smart bulb.
Key Specs:
| Wattage | 9.5W |
| Lumens | 1100 |
| Lifetime | 25,000 hrs |
Pros
- Super affordable price
- Simple setup
- Great color quality
- Automations and scheduling
- Alexa and Google voice compatible
Cons
- No HomeKit support
- Advanced features require subscription
Priced at around $25 per bulb, Wyze Bulb Color offers incredible value. It connects directly to WiFi with no need for a hub or bridge.
The Wyze app provides color and white temperature tuning, automation triggers, schedules, timers and Alexa/Google voice control. While advanced features require a paid subscription, the free app still allows full access to basic controls and automation settings.
If you want rich color smart lighting on a budget, Wyze Bulb Color is a fantastic choice.
Wyze Bulb Color (2 pack)
Price: $46.99
Amazon Rating: 4.4/5 (18,000+ ratings) Best Uses: Affordable full-color smart bulbs great for lamps, accent lighting and beginner smart home automation.
3. Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb – Best for Simplicity
Sengled‘s affordable smart bulbs keep operation straightforward while packing helpful smart features.
Key Specs:
| Wattage | 9W |
| Lumens | 800 |
| Lifetime | 25,000 hrs|
Pros
- Super easy setup
- Very affordable
- Scheduling
- Voice Assistant integration
- No Hub required
Cons
- Limited color options
- Basic light features
Sengled Smart Wi-Fi bulbs get you started with smart lighting for the cost of a regular LED bulb. Pricing starts from just $10!
Connecting directly to Wi-Fi eliminates the hassle of hubs. Despite the simple operation, Sengled bulbs integrate nicely with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. Scheduling, automation triggers and remote on/off round out the useful smart features.
Keep in mind color tuning is limited to basic white shades. However if you want fuss-free smart bulbs to cover the lighting basics, I highly recommend giving Sengled‘s offerings a try.
Sengled Smart WiFi Bulb (1-pack)
Price: $6.69
Amazon Rating: 4/5 (98,000+ ratings)Best Uses – Simple affordable smart bulbs great for first-time automation in lamps, regular fixtures.
4. LIFX Mini White – Best for Small Spaces
Don‘t let its cute size fool you – the LIFX Mini packs a big smart lighting punch.
Key Specs:
| Wattage | 9W |
| Lumens | 650 |
| Lifetime | 22 years |
Pros
- Compact size
- Bright and vibrant colors
- No hub required
- HomeKit, Alexa compatible
- Lifetime 22 years
Cons
- Limited automation features
The LIFX Mini White measures just 2.8 x 2.8 inches wide yet still produces 650 clean Lumens of brightness. Despite its pint-size, you still get complete app control plus voice support through Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant.
The $28 adjustable white temperature version can shift from energizing daylight (6500K) to cozy warmer candlelight (2700K). Or splurge $37 for the full color model capable of over 16 million vibrant tones.
LIFX rates these LED bulbs to last a staggering 22 years!
If you need smart lighting for smaller spaces like cabinets and sconces, LIFX Mini is a mighty lighting choice.
LIFX Mini White Smart Bulb
Price: $14.99
Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 (7,000+ ratings) Best Uses: Smarter LED lighting in compact fixtures like cabinets, cove lighting, lamps.
5. TP-Link Kasa Filament Bulb – Best Vintage Style
Filament bulbs are gorgeous in pendant fixtures and exposed bulbs where the visible glowing filament adds beautiful ambiance.
The Kasa Filament Bulb retains this timeless look while incorporating modern smart WiFi connectivity.
Key Specs:
| Wattage | 7W |
| Lumens | 600 |
| Lifetime | 25,000 hrs |
Pros
- Beautiful filament style
- Easy no-hub setup
- Alexa & Google Assistant voice control
- Affordable price
Cons
- No color changing effects
At just $15 more than a standard filament bulb, adding smart capabilities is a no-brainer. The Kasa app allows easy on/off/dimming from anywhere while still retaining the flexibility of manual wall switches.
Use as a standalone bulb or pair with other Kasa smart gear and Google/Alexa devices for scene/automation capabilities. This is my top pick for affordable smart retro-styled bulbs to enhance your decorator fixtures with wireless control.
Kasa Filament Smart Bulb by TP-Link
Price: $19.99
Amazon Rating: 4/5 (12,500+ ratings)Best Uses: Vintage-look Edison bulbs with smart features, great in pendant lights, exposed restaurant bulbs.
What To Consider When Buying Smart Bulbs
Here are key factors I recommend keeping in mind while picking the perfect smart bulbs:
Desired Features – Determine what smart capabilities are important like scheduling, automation, voice control etc. Compare bulb specs and make sure desired features are supported.
Light Appearance – Consider what lighting color temperature and quality is optimal for areas you‘re illuminating. Bulbs supporting color changes offer greater adjustment capability.
WiFi vs Bluetooth – WiFi connected bulbs generally provide greater smart home integration flexibility whereas Bluetooth options have limited range and device pairing restrictions.
Brightness Levels – Measure light output in Lumens, with most standard single bulbs ranging between 800-1100 lumens. Consider what brightness works best per fixture.
Energy Efficiency – Compare lumens/watt ratings between bulbs to maximize light production per energy unit consumed. Also verify lifespan ratings based on daily usage.
Budget – Entry-level tunable white bulbs start under $10 while advanced color smart bulbs with app connectivity can run over $50 per bulb. Factor in how much certain features are worth spending for.
Ease of Installation – Many bulbs connect directly to WiFi with no hub required for easiest setup – however some systems like Philips Hue require a initial hub purchase.
Light Up Your Smart Home With Smart Bulbs!
Adding smart bulbs is one of the easiest first steps towards smart home automation. With programmable lighting control, voice commands, schedules and effects at your fingertips, smart bulbs open up a world of illumination possibilities.
I hope this guide covered top options available today and gave key factors for deciding what works best per application and budget. Any of my top overall picks will serve you well.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Jeremy
Smart Home Analyst
